The Royal Rumble is coming to Orlando. Tonight marks the final television show before the Royal Rumble, the first pay per view event for WWE in 2016 and the start of the road to WrestleMania.
It is one of the big events on the WWE calendar and it coming to Orlando is, or should be, a huge event for the city of Orlando. The kind of event Orlando wanted to host with the building of the Amway Center and as a city as a whole.
Wrestling still has a weird place in the sports marketplace. The results might be scripted, but there is no denying its entertainment value and the extreme athleticism of the performers. No matter where you classify it, it is always a good time.
For those that follow wrestling, it has reached a cultural touchpoint, reaching mainstream acceptance. ESPN showed highlights of WrestleMania last year and did live broadcasts from SummerSlam!
It is increasingly hard to ignore the WWE and its presence, especially in Orlando, where the promotion has placed its performance training center and hosts NXT, its developmental promotion.
To get a better sense of where things stand within the WWE and what to expect from Sunday’s even, I reached out to Eric Gargiulo of the well-known wrestling blog Camel Clutch Blog.
Below is our e-mail Q&A:
Philip Rossman-Reich, Orlando Sports Daily: I am sure you get this question a lot, but it feels like wrestling has hit a cultural touchstone in modern sports pop culture. How did this come about and why have so many “traditional” sports sites begun following wrestling? What is different in the way they cover the industry that they may not have even thought of before? In what ways has this affected the fan-watching experience?
Eric Gargiulo, Camel Clutch Blog: The reason so many traditional sports sites cover wrestling is because it has a loyal audience that will follow WWE and read related content. The WWE also does a great job in public relations by making their talent available to traditional media, thus they are easier interviews to land.
Three million fans are watching WWE on Monday nights. At the end of the day these sites are in the business of making money and if they generate new revenue from this content, it makes sense.
I don’t know if it has really impacted the fan-watching experience. I do think it is more acceptable to go see pro wrestling today than it was years ago. The coverage by the traditional media outlets legitimizes it whereas in the past it may not be seen as a “cool place” to be.
OSD: What surprises might be in store for the Royal Rumble? What is the match we should be looking forward to aside from the Royal Rumble match?
Gargiulo: I don’t want to ruin any surprises, but the most obvious spoiler is Triple H. He should be back at the Rumble to advance his angle with Reigns whether it is interfering in the Rumble or competing.
There are strong rumors that he will compete in the Rumble, although I don’t know how much sense it makes. There are some rumblings about Daniel Bryan, but I would be shocked to see him back at the Rumble unless he was winning it and he won’t be.
Aside from the Rumble, I think [Kevin] Owens and [Dean] Ambrose should be real interesting. These are two guys that have a lot of respect for each other and should go out there with the intention of tearing down the house.
OSD: The thing that has struck me most since I sort of returned to wrestling is how strong the Divas division is. It seems like it is deeper and more technically proficient than it ever has been. What led to this push for the division?
Gargiulo: I think the attention the girls received in NXT had a lot to do with it. E’s Total Divas is probably a bigger driver at the end of the day, but the attention the girls were getting in NXT has certainly influenced the push in the division.
OSD: It has been a crazy year for Roman Reigns since winning last year’s Royal Rumble. Do fans feel like his face push is forced or has he grown into this latest championship opportunity?
Gargiulo: I think they are finally starting to accept him. For whatever reason, the night after Hell in a Cell on RAW it all seemed to change. There doesn’t appear to be the negativity that surrounded him at this time last year. It is almost as if the fans are saying, “Okay we finally accept you.”
At the end of the day, the proof will be in the business. He has a lot more pressure on him now than he would have ever had as champion. If he can relish it, he could secure the support of the fans for years to come.
OSD: With all the injuries to the roster right now, is the WWE where it wants to be heading toward WrestleMania? How can it make the most of this important stretch for the company and keep building on this momentum?
Gargiulo: It can’t be. To have John Cena, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins on the sidelines can’t be seen as anything positive. The company has had to reshuffle WrestleMania several times now.
I think the company needs to move away from the 50-50 booking and start giving guys special pushes. Perception is reality.
Unfortunately none of these guys other than Roman Reigns are perceived as special. The NFL would be boring if every player was mediocore and you only had one star player. The WWE needs more star players to sustain any momentum they gain over the next few months.
OSD: Orlando put in a bid for WrestleMania in 2017. What do you think of Orlando as a wrestling market for major events like the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania?
Gargiulo: It’s a classic city with a great fan base. It’s also a fantastic travel destination for a WrestleMania. You aren’t just booking a trip to WrestleMania if you go to Orlando, you are booking a vacation. It’s a smart business decision.
OSD: My thanks to Eric for taking the time answer some of my questions about the state of the WWE and the Royal Rumble coming up. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @camelclutchblog and at Camel Clutch Blog, a fantastic source covering the wrestling industry.
Also be sure to check out the preview podcast Eric Lopez and I did talking about potential angles for the event and our predictions for what we might see.
